thiele



2 Sheets-Sheet .1.

(No Model.)

L THIELE CHILD'S CARRIAGE. I

Patented Dec. 24, 1895.-

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

L. THIELB.

' I CHILD'S CARRIAGE.

No. 551,937. Patented Dec. 24, 1895.

XW BY UNITED TATESE ATENT FFICE.

LOUIS TIIIELE, OF EBERSVVALDE, GERMANY.

CHILDVS CAR RlAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent N0. 551 ,93'7, datedDecember 24, 1895.

Application filed A ril 23,1894. Serial No, 506,861. (No model.)Patented in Germany July30,1893,N0. 76,767; in France 7 March2,1894,N0.236,685; in AustriaMarch 28, 1894, N0. 44/ 681; in EnglandApril 2,1894, No. 6,569; in Hungary April 12, 1894,1To. 250; in BelgiumSeptember 29, 1894, No. 112,051, and in Italy February16,1895,LXXIV,480,

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS THIELE, a citizen of the German Empire,residing at Ebers walde, in the Empire of Germany, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Childrens Carriages, (forwhichI haveobtained Letters Patent in Germany, No. 76, 767, dated July 30, 1893; inAustria, Tom. 44, No. 681, dated March 28, 1894; in Belgium, No.112,051, dated September 29, 1894; in England, No. 6,569, dated April 2,1894; in France, No. 236,685, dated March 2, 1894; in Hungary, No. 250,dated April 12, 1894; in Italy,Vol. 74, No. 430, dated February 16,1895,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improvedbaby-carriage, which can be folded into the shape of a traveling-bag andused as such for containing parts of the carriage and other articles,which carriage is simple in construction, strong and durable, and can beerected for use and folded after use very easily and readily and whenfolded occupies very little space.

The invention consists in the combination, with a folding top frame, ofa flexible carriage-body secured to and suspended from the same, afolding floor in said carriagebody, wheel-supporting frames pivotallyconnected with the folding top frame, wheels detachably connected withthe wheel-frames and braces for holding the several parts in properposition relatively when the carriage is erected for use.

The invention also consists of the construction and combination of partsand details, as will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side View of my improvedfolding carriage erected for use as acarriage. Fig. 2 is an end View ofthe same in the same position. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same foldedinto the shape of a traveling-bag. Fig. 4 is a side View of the samefolded. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail View of a piece to which thewheelframes and top frame of the carriage are pivoted, parts beingomitted. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional View, on the line 6 6 .6 ofFig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side view of a modified construction of the carriageerected for use. Fig. 8 is a plan View of the construction shown in Fig.7.

Similar letters sponding parts.

The body of the carriage is constructed with a top frame formed of twoapproximately U-shaped sections a, a, preferably made of light steeltubing and pivoted at the ends of their shanks to each other and to thebottom cross-pieces g of two are shaped frames g, by means of the bolts0, thus adapting said frames a a, to swing upward and toward each other,as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 7. For the purpose of properlyguiding said frame-sections a a each is pivoted with a Ushaped clip jembracing the arc-shaped frame g and mounted to slide on the same, andin each clip j a thumb-screw h is mounted, which serves to lock theframe-sections a a in place on the arc-frame g.

The sides of the carriage-body are made of canvas, oil-cloth or othersuitable flexible material, the bottom edges of the same being securedto a floor made of three sections, of which two end sections are hingedat e and e to the central section, so as to adapt the end sections toswing up or toward each other into the position shown in Fig. 3. Thefloor is preferably composed of a suitable frame d, to which is attacheda network of reed or of reference indicate correrattan or similarmaterial.

The arc-shaped frames 9 are provided at their ends with lugs r, to whichthe ends of the U-shaped wheel-frames b b are pivoted by means of bolts0-. From the cross-piece of each frame I) 1) two or three lugs f projectdownward, which can be passed into sockets in the upper ends of thewheel-forks p in which the wheels 19 are mounted, which sockets arelocked to the lugs by means of thumbscrews h. By applying two wheels toone frame and one wheel to the other the carriage can be adjusted to runon three wheels, or by applying two wheels to each frame it can beadjusted to run on fourwheels.

A brace-rod 7a is pivoted at e to the frame 2) and engages the catch 1on the opposite frame 19, which brace-rod serves to prevent the framesfrom spreading. The handleo is attached to one of the frame-sections aand is used to push the carriage or to serve as a handle for the bagwhen the carriage is folded.

To fold the carriage the wheel-forks are first disconnected and with thewheels are placed into the body. The frame-sections a a are swung towardeach other and then looked in place on the arc-frames g by means of thethumb-screws h. Then the brace-rod 7c is disengaged from the catch Z andswung up against the frame Z2, and the frames 1) b are swung up into theposition shown in Fig. 4 and held by straps. (Not shown.) The bedding,coverlets, (he. are also placed in the body be fore the same is foldedup. In the construction shown in Fig. 7 the arc-shaped frames 6 aredispensed with and the frames at a b b are pivoted to the common pivotsc and the frames a a are held in position in relation to thesupporting-frames b b by means of the knuckle-joint brace-levers 7a 7a.Otherwise the construction of the carriage is the same as justdescribed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In ababy-carriage, the combination with a foldingtop-frame,of a flexible carriage-body secured to and suspended from thesame, U- shaped wheel-frames extending transversely of and under thebody of the carriage, means for pivotally connecting the upper ends ofthe wheel-frames with opposite sides of the top-fra1ne atapproximatelythe mid-length of the body so as to swing around the ends of the body,said top-frame folding within the wheel-frames, wheels detachablysecured to the wheel-frames, and means for locking the parts in positionwhen the carriage is erected for use, substantially as set forth.

2. In ababy-carriage,the combination,with a folding top-frame,of aflexible carriage-body secured to and suspended from the top-frame, afolding bottom in said flexible body, consisting of a central sectionand two inwardly and upwardly-folding sections hinged to the centralsection, inwardly and upwardly folding wheel-frames pivotally connectedwith the top-frame, wheels detachably secured to said wheel-frames, andmeans for locking the parts in position when the carriage is erected foruse, said top-frame, wheel-frames and folding bottom sections foldingwithin each other in the order named, substantially as set forth.

3. In ababy-oarriage,the combination,with a top-frame formed of twoU-shaped framesections pivoted to each other at their ends, a handlesecured to the cross-piece of one of said sections, a flexiblecarriage-body secured to and suspended from said top-frame, a foldingbottom in said flexible body, containing inwardly and upwardlyfolding-sections, U- shaped wheel-frames extending underv the body andpivotally connected with the topframes, braces pivoted to one of thewheelframes and adapted to engage catches on the other of thewheel-frames for locking the wheel-frames in position when the carriageis erected for use, and wheels detachably connected with thewheel-frames, substantially asset forth.

at. In a baby-carriage,the combinatiomwith arc-shaped frames, havingbottom-pieces, a top-frame formed of two U-shaped sections pivoted tothe bottom-pieces, a flexible carriage-body secured toand suspendedfromsaid top-frame, a folding bottom in said flexible body, clips on saidtop-frame sections embracing the arc-shaped frames, thumb-screwsreceived in said clips for engaging the areshaped frames, inwardly andupwardly folding U-shaped frames pivoted to the ends of the arc-shapedframes, wheels detachably secured to said wheel-frames, and braces forholding the wheel-frames in proper position when the carriage iserect-ed for use, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS THIELE.

Vitnesses:

W. H. EDWARDs, WILHELM BESCHETZVVICK.

